


Aleisters Labyrinth

by sameoldstory



Category: Archive 81 (Podcast)
Genre: Body Modification, Dehumanization, F/F, Fix-It, Gore, Needles, Self-Harm, Surgery, also in case you don't know who statue mimic is, because I low key made myself sick writing it, but I promise it won't get like that again, but this is DEFINITELY not fluff, eating eyeballs and drinking tears, eventual rehumanization dw, explicit violence, it's a bad chapter, ooof this is the most fucked up thing I've ever written, rule of thumb: if you can't listen to s2ep1 don't read this, so... I learned from that, tags specifically for chapter 4:, the thing that posessed Chris, yep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:34:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25260046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sameoldstory/pseuds/sameoldstory
Summary: Kathy Quinn survives Aleisters architecture ...but at what cost.
Relationships: Kathy Quinn/ Statue Mimic
Comments: 8
Kudos: 4





	1. House of Stairs

**Author's Note:**

> I do not have an upload schedule...I hope you don't mind long, depression induced breaks between chapters. (I know how to end this fic, so dw I will not leave it unfinished)

At some point, she was born again. It was more a metaphorical than a literal rebirth since it involved way more music than the average human birth. But then, she’d stopped being human at some point, so maybe that was just normal. 

But it was painful, oh so painful being pushed through the portal they’d made. It felt like she was unraveling and coming undone in the process of pushing... Like she’d lose and lose and lose herself completely if she didn’t hold onto herself. Like there was music being pulled from her bones. Like a… in a way it was impossible to compare it to anything she could remember. It was not a feeling she cared to experience again, not anytime soon anyway.

But there was something else. Someone else 

Her mind was still trying to process the pain and put the scrambled memories back together but her hand instinctively searched for the touch of- the hand of her lover. 

Her lover… 

-

There was the taste of raw eyeballs on her tongue. Not that they tasted like a lot but they were food and unfortunately she was able to taste them. At some point they had become the only food she could think of, like her world had narrowed down to … she lost her train of thought and stared at the orifice again. The eyes were never enough to satisfy her hunger and it seemed to her that it took more and more time for them to pop out.

It kind of made her think of The House of Stairs, though she barely remembered the plot of the book. Her English teacher had forced them to read it in class and the writing had resonated with her but only parts had really stayed with her. It was more a hum in the back of her mind than actual plot points, actually.

She zoned out again and only found herself again because of the hunger that seemed to be tearing through her stomach. But no matter how much she hoped for it to happen, no eyeball popped out to save her from her hunger.

Eventually she got up to drink. It wasn’t pleasant to drink tears but she definitely didn’t want to die and at least the tears weren’t salty. Still- it was an awkward business. The comatose woman was always crying but that didn’t mean she wasn’t weeping really slowly. And drinking tears meant she had to press her chapped lips to the womans face in a way that would have made her uncomfortable in her old life. She’d never been a fan of the Sleeping Beauty trope.

And still, despite her sitting there for hours it was never really enough. She didn’t know how much water there was in a teardrop but she distinctly remembered her doctor telling her to drink at least 2 litres of water each day. Granted, she didn’t know how days worked in Aleisters labyrinth. But she was fairly certain that she got much less than those 2 litres, no matter if time was fake or not. Even if she took the liquid inside the eyeballs into consideration.

She didn’t have time to ponder on the consequences dehydration would eventually have on her. Or if this place would actually let her die. Instead, she lost herself in the routine of drinking.

On some days, Kathy almost pitied the comatose woman. Never being able to wake up and snap out of if… but then she didn’t have to do anything desperate or disgusting to survive. So maybe she should envy her instead? The ugly feeling of being out of control hit her hard. In some ways they were really just the same. 

After she felt somewhat refreshed and recovered, she carefully laid the woman's head back down. One day she’d find a pillow for her but for now the floor just had to do.

She still explored the labyrinth often. It wasn’t as alive as it used to be, though. She didn’t know what Chris and Nicholas had done to the place but it had wounded the labyrinth. It was a dying thing these days and she didn’t know how she thought about it.

On the one hand it was her cage and she often felt awful in it. The thirst and starvation almost killed her most days. And worst of all, the song from the radio station had left her completely. 

But at the same time there were times when she felt more like herself than she had in… years. She’d always wanted an adventure and magic and most importantly she wanted to know all about how the magic worked. And now she was trapped in a magical funhouse without a way out, without an adventure or knowledge. She was starved in literally every way possible but somehow that was not new for her. The environment was certainly new but she felt just the same as she always had. 

Sure, at home she’d had more food and it was certainly better than eyeballs. But it felt... exactly the same. In the real world, she’d been suffocated by her jobs, often too tired from work to learn new things and grow... or do anything but collapse and wake up to a new day of hell. A new day of crushing debt and having an asshole as a boss. 

That hell was a bit more literal these days but she still didn’t know if she would actually return home, given the opportunity. There really wasn’t anything to return to and here she had magic at least.


	2. The Shop Of Shocking Secrets And Hidden Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kathy gets answers from a mechanical doll.

At some point, her eyes started working again. She’d imagined herself in a room, when she’d pushed through the portal. But there weren’t any walls. In reality she’d probably gotten too used to being inside the Labyrinth. Here she was, looking at the stars couldn’t stop thinking about being part of a building. A building she’d tried to escape for so long.  
She’d loved the stars, before. Her telescope had almost been as dear to her as her radio and her tape recorder. But now they just seemed… very far away and a bit dull. 

There’d been a room like this, in the Labyrinth. One that looked like an eternal night sky. But the lights were close and moved. Sometimes they’d sing and dance as well. Looking at the real night sky she found herself missing that room more than the past in which she’d loved those tiny suns that were so very distant and uncaring.

A breeze caught in her short hair and made her shiver. She wanted so badly to feel excited about being back, being free. But alas, the fresh air and the clear sky were like ash in her mouth. 

I’ll never be the same again, she thought. She almost wanted to say it out loud, to tell her partner about it. But she wasn’t here. Why wasn’t she by her side?

-

There was no eyeball when she returned to her usual spot. So instead of sitting down and submitting to the loneliness of her existence, she walked off. She’d rather explore than live like this. There was no one controlling her in this place.

The first new room she found was a really generic office backroom that was decorated with framed pictures of potted plants. There were no actual potted plants in the room but it was still nice.  
It was at that moment that she realized she didn’t need a light to see. It wasn’t a big surprise, honestly it wasn’t really a recent development. But she hadn’t thought about it yet like one only realizes a pain when it’s there but never the exact moment when it goes away.

It was likely because the labyrinth wanted to be seen and explored. It was in its own way still a somewhat sentient place, definitely a dying one at that- but she kept it alive as much as it kept her alive. Because what’s a concept or a song or a story that’s not remembered? Her being there kept the place almost alive. It made her feel powerful. Not quite in control but being able to see without light and belonging to this place, being needed… it was something at least.

The second new room she found was a dark alleyway with walls that were disgustingly soft and coated with a sticky substance. She hurried along. She’d already had enough bad experiences in rooms like this. 

The next new room she came across was a small shop. The sign over the door read “Mr Elias’s Shop Of Shocking Secrets And Hidden Truths”. Kathy felt her heart miss a beat at the promise of what could well be a way to find out more about the labyrinth.

The shop itself was largely empty except for a few postcards and keychains that made the place look like a popup store close to a tourist attraction. But the clerk was not a human being, it was a mechanical doll on a table, propped up against a stack of books. Standing up on the ground it would have been tall enough to reach her knees. It was wearing a uniform with a tiny nametag that read “Mr Elias”. She approached it cautiously. Just because the doll was adorable didn’t mean it wasn’t simultaneously super creepy. And she definitely didn’t trust it.

The doll stared at her unblinking. There was something wrong with its eyes, like it had all the mechanical parts to close them but just...chose not to blink. She shook her head, unwilling to accept the idea of a truly sentient mechanical puppet. Instead, it was probably just broken. Something inside whirred and clicked like a clockwork. It was the most streampunk thing she’d seen in her entire life and she fell in love with the place immediately. At the same time it was also the creepiest part of the labyrinth she’d been to. But that had never stopped her from loving something.

“Hello and welcome to the Shop Of Shocking Secrets And Hidden Truths. How are you today?”

She hadn’t expected for it to actually speak. And for it to be able to pronounce words to make them seem capitalized, even when spoken. And she definitely hadn’t expected for it to sound British.

“I’m doing just fine, thank you.”

The puppet clicked again and it strangely sounded like laughing. Was the thing laughing at her?

“What brings you to my shop, Kathy Quinn? What secret do you want to know and what price are you willing to pay for it?”

She closed her eyes, unsure how to proceed. What could a magical doll want? Money? Did human capitalism extend to magical creatures?

“What do you accept as payment?”

The doll seemed to think for a little while, then the clicking came again.

“You may pay me by answering one question for each truth I am going to reveal.”

This sounded a lot like Payphone to her but she wasn’t going to ask him whether he was Payphones weird puppet friend. She didn’t want to piss him off already.

“What happens if I don’t answer truthfully?”

The mechanism clicked again and this time she was certain it was laughing at her.

“You won’t be able to. That’s the deal.”

She found herself nodding. It made sense, in a way. And while she didn’t like the thought of being unable to lie it still felt better than facing the possibility of cutting off her ears. Besides, if the doll thing judged her for a secret, she’d just kick it very hard.

“That sounds fair.”

The dolls eyes began to glow at the words, like one of those shitty old mechanical dolls that only came to life once you put a coin into the system. It… he didn’t say anything but she guessed that meant he was ready for her questions and the deal was made.

“So, first question: Is there a way out of this place? I know Christine and Nicholas made it out somehow …”

Her voice trailed off as she realized that she was dangerously close to asking another question. And although answering the dolls questions was likely not painful, she doubted it would be pleasant. So she had to limit her questions.

“Right. Starting off with an easy question, are we? That is a rhetorical question and you do not have to answer that. I’m sure you already know this one, deep down. Aleister built this place without the intention of anyone getting out. So … no. There’s no door or portal leading anywhere but to another room of this place.”

She nodded again, carefully. It should have hit her way harder than it did. But he was right of course. Somehow she’d already known.

“Time for my question. If there was a door in front of you that led wherever you wanted it to, where would it lead?”

As soon as he stopped talking, her body started to feel weird. As if there was some sort of electricity running through her. And simultaneously, the question he’d asked started to feel bigger and bigger until answering it was all she could really think about.

“I suppose… Columbia from Bioshock Infinite. That… that might sound dumb. To be honest, I barely know the game. My ex girlfriend played it a lot, though. And there’s this opening sequence in the clouds… yeah. There’s little coffeeshops and the sky is the perfect shade of blue. And most everyone seems perfect… hell, even the lighting is this really nostalgic shade of … I don’t know. It just seems like I could live in that scene for my entire life. Realistically, I’d probably get bored really soon. But yeah. I’ve always dreamed of living in a place like that.”

She didn’t know if she’d been supposed to tell him about a real place, but the feeling of needing to answer the question was gone. And she had told the truth. So that had to count for something.

“It’s my turn again. How did Christine and Nicholas escape?”

It wouldn’t help her, she knew that. And even if it did, she didn’t know what she’d do with the information. She just didn’t like being trapped.

“They killed the thing at the center. You could call it the living heart of this place. To keep it from growing and becoming more powerful. And when they did, a portal opened, that led them to Aleister.”

Kathy didn’t know if that made sense but things didn’t have to make perfect sense to work, here.

“What do you feel when you think of Nicholas and Christine?”

The question took her by surprise but she didn’t let it show.

“I hate the way they didn’t have to fight for rituals. They just fell right into their lap. Sure, they don’t have it super easy. There are people following them who want to stop them. But that doesn’t make it fair. No one has it easy, but most people don’t get a start like they did. And they also have an insufferable attitude about them, like they’re heroes or something. And everyone who makes their life even remotely difficult is left behind and made out to be a ...villain. Other people might be okay with them waltzing right over them. But I won’t be left behind. I won’t be a villain. And I most certainly won’t be a side character.”

If only she could fully believe the last part.

“How can I take control of my life here? If I’m to stay here forever … I want to be powerful at least. More powerful than I am right now.”

“This place is dying. Its heart is gone. If you try to become powerful here, you’ll speed its death up and die with it.”

“Well the alternative is lying low, eating eyes and drinking tears and living like a rat for a few months or years until the place gives up on itself. I’d rather die powerful than live in a cage.”

“Are you afraid of dying?”

“I don’t want to die and I’m not good with pain. And I’m not a big fan of not knowing when or how I’ll die. Or if something comes, after... but overall I don’t think I am.”

“Interesting.”

“If you think so. Next question: Is there a way to keep this place alive?”

“It needs a heart to live. But since this is a prison for humans, you don’t qualify, unfortunately. So don’t get your hopes up. It needs to be a living thing that has an emotional connection to the person who casts the spell. Now… imagine you were given the chance to lie in this room, would you lie to me?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t actually know if he had made her answer the truth this time. She hadn’t felt any compulsion to answer. But still, it was the truth. She was good at lying and she honestly couldn’t see the harm in lying to a doll. Elias didn’t comment on that.

“You said it’s a prison for humans. How many humans are here? Is it just me? Or are some of the creatures…?”

“Technically, you just asked three questions. But I will treat them like one, because I am a decent… person. There are others, but you will likely not recognize them as human anymore. Even I can’t be sure about some of them. So I can’t say for sure how many there are. I’m pretty sure about the mimic in the statue, though. Knowing that you can turn into a creature here, what would you turn into?”

“There are some beautiful places here. Like the room that looks like a jetty that reaches out towards an endless ocean. Given the choice I’d become a sea creature there. What about the comatose woman?”

“Oh she’s not comatose.She’s just an empty body. You really would choose a sea creature? That’s interesting, considering… well.”  
“I can’t lie here, so… yeah I’d choose a sea creature. I’ve always liked selkies. So something similar I guess. Considering what?”

“Unfortunately I can’t tell you that. Telling the future is strictly against the company rules. I can give you a hint, however. Once you become a creature, you’re not a human being anymore. And once you’ve shed your humanity you might just be able to qualify for the position of the heart of this place. That is what you want, isn’t it?”

Silence stretched between them like a spider's web as she thought about it.

“Yes.”


	3. Ariadne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The protagonist of this story sells her name and meets someone new. Warning: the body modification storyline starts here :)

At some point she got up from the ground and made her first step on the old land, the old home she barely recognised.

People here would not see her for anything but human. She didn’t know how it worked but her own eyes could barely see the metal now. She could blend in, have her old life back. She could be ordinary and try to forget.

Maybe she could make up with her family or start a new one entirely.

The thoughts made her sick. All she wanted was her girlfriend, the ritual they’d been looking for and then she’d go… home.

-

The comatose woman didn’t wake, she didn’t even stir or stop crying as Kathy scooped her up and carried her towards the statue. It took a lot of time and energy to carry a person, much more than she’d expected.  
She’d never been weak, but the body was nothing but dead weight. By the end of their journey, her arms shook so bad she could barely drag the body the last steps towards the statue. But somehow she did it. As soon as the hollow woman's hand touched the mimics stature, she stopped crying. 

There goes my source of hydration, Kathy thought. But she’d grown quite tired of tears anyway. And she was way too interested in the person she was about to meet to really be sad about a bit of water.

The stranger slowly opened her eyes. She seemed confused and possibly a bit lost.

“Who am I?” she asked. Her voice was lovely but very scared.

“I don’t really know. I was hoping you could tell me. But apparently not. If you’d like, I can give you a name.”

“Go for it! Fuck, I’m so goddamn thirsty.” the woman whispered and wiped her eyes. Kathy couldn’t help but remember the fairy tale of the three Lemons. But they weren’t living in a fairy tale and she was not a prince, saving a damsel in distress.

“Crying forever will do that for you. Don’t worry, we’ll find you some water...Ariadne.”

“Well there’s a name with a lot of history.” 

“Sure is. So, you like mythology, huh?”

“I don’t actually remember to be honest.”  
That made sense, actually...

“Do you like it, then? The name?”

She didn’t mean to sound shy. She wasn’t, either. But it was a strange thing, to see the strangers face animated like this after days of drinking from her.

“Well we’re trapped in a fucked up kind of labyrinth. So I suppose it’s fitting. Who are you, then? My personal Theseus? The Minotaur?”

“You can call me Kathy. And I guess I’m trying to become the Minotaur, in a way. That’s actually why I need you. You need to watch over me as I become the heart of this place. But I can only become the heart once I’m a creature. So you might have to help me become a monstrous thing. And still keep me human enough to remember myself.”

“So you only rescued me to help you? I guess that’s fair.”  
Despite her words, Ariadne didn’t look hurt by this.

“I also rescued you because I’m awesome, but yeah... I need help to become the heart. Because this place needs a heart in order to stay alive. And the heart needs to be a creature who isn’t human and who has an emotional connection to the spellcaster. And since I am the only living thing I have a connection to in this place… well.”

“So what will you become, then? And what do I have to do?”

“I still have to get a few parts, but there is a kind of ritual that should make it possible for me to improve my body. I will likely have to… do surgery on myself. So you’ll have to assist me with that. And save me in case I pass out.”

“That definitely doesn’t sound like fun. But I will try. Full disclosure though: I’m not very good with blood.”  
Well that was just great. The one person who was able to help her...

“Girl, are you sure you don’t want to go back into that statue? Humans bleed all the time. I don’t mean to say get over it, but we’re pretty short on time and I need you there or else we’ll die. So please try your best.”

“You can be kind of a dick, do you know that? But yes. I’ll try my best not to get sick. Or pass out with you.”

“I’m sorry. I really don’t mean to be a dick. I’m just stressed. I’ll try to make it up to you once this place is stable again. But until then it’d be nice if you could help me.”

“I will.”

“Thank you.”

-

The Body Part Shop was not as disgusting as it sounded. 

The body parts all looked mostly robotic in nature. There were legs and arms and smaller parts. The thought of connecting their cold metal to herself made her shake with disgust and dread. But she had to become the heart. And she wanted to become powerful. So she looked at each part carefully.

The salesperson eyed them warily. They were some sort of cyborg, but Kathy couldn’t tell if they’d ever been human.

Ariadne showed her a pair of horns that almost connected into a circle. “If you’re going to be a minotaur…” she joked. Kathy considered the horns. She wouldn’t have to replace anything to get them. And horns were a cool look anyway.

“How much for these?”

The clerk shuffled towards them like a hungry creature.

“Those will not suffice. They are not enough to make you inhuman. You will never be a creature if you don’t give up on the thought that you’ll resemble some sort of human after the surgery.”

“So what would suffice, then? How much do I have to sacrifice?”

“What part of your body makes you feel human? What would you have to change to be completely unable to go back to your old life? To be too much of a monster to ever be accepted again?”

“Prosthetics don’t make a monster. Besides, one really doesn’t need to be a monster in order to be an outcast. Do you think it would be enough to get an extra limb?”

“No. But we have a deal for you that could be of interest to you.”

They pointed towards a table in the back of the show. The thing on the table looked like an exoskeleton at first. But she was fairly certain it was more than that.

“You won’t need to open yourself up to bond with this flesh, it will do that for you. You just need to put your hands in the gloves and sew them onto yourself. Do you see the tiny holes in there? You’ll be able to push a needle through them. And you can definitely wear the horns with this flesh. It will make a real minotaur out of you.”

The minotaur thing did sound kind of cool. The part with the needles sounded … less cool.

“Will it hurt?”

Kathy very much liked not being in pain. Not being in pain was great.

“Of course.”

… not the answer she’d hoped to. But she’d expected this. At least she didn’t have to say goodbye to a body part.

“Is there an option that doesn’t involve… pain?”

Again, she didn’t have big expectations. But she had to ask.

“No. In fact, this is the least painful option. And the one that likely won’t make you pass out too often.”

She didn’t like how happy the salespersons voice was as they gave their answers. Always helpful but she still hated the answers.

“Do you have some painkillers, too?”

She wanted to ask for sanitizer and water, too. But she already knew nothing would make the experience better.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Great. That’s just great. What would all of this cost me?”

“Your name.”

Kathy thought about that for a while. She’d never been too attached to her name, there were many good names out in the world and having just one for an entire life seemed boring. But giving it up like this, losing her humanity and her name in one day… it felt like a lot.

“Okay.”

Of course she still took the deal. What else was she supposed to do?


	4. Skeletons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so disgusting to write and reread. There is nothing nice in this chapter so please only read this if you've read the warnings. Because this is not a pretty chapter.

At some point she found what was left of Aleisters study. In it, there were plans and maps and so, so many rituals. Skimming through the tapes she felt a ghost of her old obsession tug at her. How past her would have loved to listen to this collection. 

She felt strangely removed from that person. It hadn’t been long ago and still… looking back she felt like a butterfly remembering its time as a caterpillar. That past had been important once, but now it was nothing more than an origin story to her. Instead of dwelling on what had been and could have been, she thumbed through some of Aleisters ritual tapes and observed the room once more. Some of the items reminded her of home. The small vase with the dying rose in one of the shelves, the statue and some of the pictures on the walls felt familiar.

There was also a thing that had been Aleister once. She looked at the remains and knew she’d forget him the moment she looked away. He didn’t deserve to be remembered, he had only brought bad things to the worlds. But she couldn’t feel hatred for him either, looking at his remains she just felt what she would have felt for any other pile of dust on the floor: nothing specific.

She looked away and took his collection of rituals.

As soon as she stepped out of the door, she stopped thinking of the man who’d put her in a cage. She wouldn’t ever think of him again, unless people asked her about her past. And even then it would only be in passing.

-

The office rooms looked clean enough to perform some sort of fucked up surgery in them. A real surgeon would likely have been shocked or they would simply not have performed the surgery. But she wasn’t one and a semi-clean office was definitely better than the room of bees or the inferno church. 

Ariadne watched her strip down to her underwear and push her limbs into the metal shoes and gloves. They were cold and smooth and fit up to her thighs and biceps respectively. She shivered against the metal, realizing that this was it: a turning point. She’d never be able to go back after this. It was a thing she’d once wanted so badly. To go away and become something new. But not like this. 

Thinking about the small holes in the metal made her feel physically ill. She had wanted music and magic, not blood and needles and iron. But here she was and avoiding the tasks would not make it better, it would only make the fear worse. So she tried to relax and get into a good position inside the metal. Then she had to clasp the external ribs into place and adjust the part of the exoskeleton that was supposed to stabilise her head. Then, a final clip over the heart. Maybe the sound was louder than the others, maybe it just seemed to be because of its finality. 

It felt almost like armor. Almost protective. Almost like she was safe from the pain that was about to come. 

Next she’d have to sow. 

The salesperson had given them a viciously curved needle and some red yarn and they’d wished them good luck before they’d left the shop. It had seemed like a good deal back then. Now that she actually had to do the deed, the needle and the yarn looked much too thick to use it on her own skin.

Ariadne saw that she was second guessing herself and seemed to try to steady her smile into something that looked reassuring. It didn’t work. Suddenly it felt foolish to trust a mechanical doll in a place like this. Who knew if she could trust Mr. Elias? Did she actually have to do this to become the heart of the labyrinth? But there was no way to confirm it. And she’d already given up her name. It was already one step too late to change her mind.

So instead of giving in to doubt, she grabbed the needle and pushed it through the first hole with shaking hands. There was a little bit of hollow space between her skin and the metal and she couldn’t stop thinking of how hard it would be to clean in there until the needle actually connected with her skin. It hurt, but only a little. Still, she almost pulled back. Almost gave up before even trying.

And still, she pushed on. It went against all of her instincts to do so, but she managed to finish the first stitch and felt her arm being pulled towards the metal, skin stretching and aching. The yarn was a new shade of red and it was wet. The needle almost fell from her cold, numb hands. It was slippery now and her hands were shaking so bad. But she wouldn’t go back now. Ariadne stood next to her and hummed something, no doubt to calm her. So she tried to listen to that instead of the scraping of the needle on metal and the sound of yarn being pulled through her arm.

The pain of the stitches was already close to unbearable, but once she was finished with her left arm, the metal of the glove started pressing in on her hand. At first she thought it was an illusion. But it really began to shrink down to fit her. There was a searing, melting pain as the exoskeleton fused with her skin and flesh. In that moment she lost consciousness for the first time. 

She woke up to more pain, neverending pain in her left leg. Ariadne was helping with the procedure, apparently. She was still humming, but it was now barely audible though the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears. She could feel it, too. Mostly in her left arm but everything hurt at this point.

She woke up many more times. Mostly when Ariadne lost the yarn halfway through and had to go back to recover it somewhere. But also when the exoskeleton crushed her limb for limb. She felt feverish at the end of it, when the ribs and neck began closing in as well. The metal was slick with her blood and she was certain that her nerves had to be dead at this point, because the pain seemed to slow down. But then she tried to move her hand and it raced up and down her tortured arm again.

Ariadne looked just as miserable as she felt, she clearly wished to be back in her statue again. But none of them would ever be able to go back from this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rushed at the ending. I wanted to be done with this scene so I could move on with the love story. So... sorry for pushing out a rushed scene.


	5. The Heart of the Labyrith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Mr. Elias again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, short note before the chapter: I'm in uni and am currently ... experiencing exams every 2-3 days. So I am a bit all over the place. I hope this chapter isn't too bad because of it. If it is... well in my defense I'm not exactly getting a lot of sleep right now. I'll reread it when I'm finished with the semester. Anyway I hope you all lovely people are having a good day <3

At some point, the passage of time started to make sense again.  
The cold air on her skin brought parts of her back that were supposed to stay gone forever. She shivered against the wind and wished for the protecting closeness of walls or another body to press into hers.  
People passed her by and ignored her completely as if she was just one of them.  
Maybe she was.  
Somehow that thought made her feel stuck and trapped. Going back to this place and stepping back into her old life felt impossible. Like a snake trying to curl back into its old shed.  
And still, here she was with a couple of rituals and no idea where to go. Back at the start.

-

Of course she was not the heart of the place already. Nothing was ever that easy, was it.

"We need to complete the ritual in the center. This was just the… purification part of it I think. Or the opposite of it? This feels strangely like a … backwards ritual. I mean I guess me becoming a monster thing could be seen as purification, but most would probably disagree..." she trailed off because Ariadne looked really lost. She kept forgetting that the woman was really new to this world.

“Anyway. That’s not important right now. Thank you for helping me become … this new me. Even though you hate blood.”

There was a silence but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Which was nice.

“Do you remember anything now? From your life before this. Before becoming a statue?”

Ariadne shrugged with an odd expression that was difficult to place. She suddenly seemed far away and vulnerable.

“I don’t have memories, exactly. I guess my mind is not a blank slate, though. It’s like there are afterimages of sorts? You know, like those dark spots when you look into the sun? It’s hard to explain but you could basically ask me about the plot of a book or a well known melody… the way a kiss feels. I would say I haven’t read it, haven’t heard it or experienced it.  
And I’d still … know what it feels like or I could sing along. I don’t know if my memory will ever come back or if it’s too far gone. I don’t even know if I want those memories back, I know I should…” she stopped herself “ but you probably didn’t actually want to hear all that, did you?”

“No, don’t worry. It’s actually nice, being able to talk to someone else. And someone who doesn’t judge me. I’m glad to have you with me. And I promise, I’ll try to make all this up to you once we’re done with this ritual.”

Ariadne smiled.

-

Mr. Elias still sat in the spot he’d been sitting in before.

“Welcome back! ... I apologize but I must have forgotten your name.”

“Aren’t you supposed to know things?” Ariadne grinned at the doll as if she was teasing an old friend.

“No it’s alright. I sold my name for parts. Pretty sure you’re not supposed to remember it...”

“Ah. That will do it.” Mr. Elias sat still again and silence stretched between them.

Ariadne cleared her throat  
“So what do we need next? For the ritual?”

“Take me with you and I will show you the pond at the center of the labyrinth for free. All you have to do there is to drink from the water and swim in it.”

“No eating of hearts? That sounds entirely too easy for a spell.”

“Well you are sacrificing yourself to a place that has no heart. I’m not really sure there’s anything left to eat.  
You just have to make sure you don’t drift away.”

“Drift away? How big _is_ that pond? You make it sound almost dangerous.”

“Oh that certainly was not my intention. It’s not dangerous there, it’s peaceful. If you can hold onto your will that is. The waters can easily make people … complacent. It’s a defense mechanism. If you are still too human or if you don’t want this enough you’ll likely lose your way.”

“I’m not human anymore. Didn’t I get rid of enough of myself to still qualify for that description? But yes. We will take you with us.”

Ariadne put a hand on her metal arm and surprisingly she could feel the touch as if it was skin on skin.

“if you get lost I’ll pull you out.”

-

The pond at the center of their little universe glowed unearthly. Ominously. Beautifully. The sounds it made were a soft lullaby and Ariadne softened as soon as she heard them.

And still, something seemed to be missing. A fish, maybe. The being that had been Kathy did not soften at the sounds or view, she bowed down to the water and drank. And then she swam.

The cool water welcomed her as its own.

There was no current but something still pulled at her, tried to find a weakness and lure her away from her path.

But there was no name it could call her by and she wasn’t human enough to manipulate her. So instead of giving in, she dove beneath the surface, opened her mouth and let the labyrinth in.


	6. Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Science! History!   
> The story is back with a short chapter :)

_ Interlude  _

There are many accounts for attempted organ transplantation in the history of humanity. Healers several hundreds of years ago were supposed to be able to transplant legs of corpses onto living persons, exchange hearts of cowards and heroes and graft skin onto others. Still, most if not all of those legendary transplants are likely just that- legends.

The first actually documented successful organ transplant was  a thyroid transplant in 1883 performed by Nobel laureate Theodor Kocher.

After that, transplanting organs happened more and more often, especially O n December 3rd 1967, the surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first human to human heart transplant. This was a significant point in medical history not only because of the transplant itself but also because the heart was believed to be the home of one's soul until that point.

Bodies don’t always accept new organs after a transplant, however. Sometimes the immune system of the accepting organism fights against the new organ like it’s an intruder. If the reaction doesn’t get suppressed by medecine, the organ is rejected and dies off. In a worst case scenario that can lead to the death of the entire organism.

The labyrinth doesn’t want her there. She doesn’t belong, was not made to be the heart of a place or an idea or a concept. She’s fragile and can be influenced easily and worst of all it does not believe she’d be willing to stay in the little pond like the fish before her did.

The effect of using immunosuppression can not only be observed in human medicine. One scientifically interesting animal that is known to use it in order to get transplants is the deep-sea anglerfish. 

In the deep, dark belly of the sea it’s hard to orient oneself and find a mate, so male anglerfish mate for life. They permanently fuse with their female counterpart, becoming dependent on her for nutrients. Parts of them remain but they’re never again truly independent. In order for that to happen, the fish need to lose genes and adapt their immune systems. Staying alive after a fusion has a price.

That is the last sacrifice of the ritual, the loss of independence. Of life as many in an individualistic society would understand it.

Mr. Elias knew all this, of course. But it definitely wasn’t in his interest to tell anyone and truth be told he wasn’t certain what exactly would happen after the pond. So he did exactly what Ariadne did: he sat there and watched. 

The body in the pond did not move or struggle. Her mouth was still open and she looked … drowned and gone. The Labyrinth seemed to hold its breath with her.

And then, eventually the moment was over and her face broke through the surface of the water once again and she gasped for air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I survived my exams! Also: if you want to read up on the anglerfish immune system stuff: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-020-00435-5  
> It's seriously super interesting :D  
> Like... studying the deep sea anglerfishs immune system could potentially help human medicine in the future!!!  
> (I love science)  
> Anyway have a great day!


End file.
